Aztec Mythology One of the main things that must be appreciated about Aztec mythology is that it has both similarities and differences to European polytheistic religions. The idea of what a god was, and how they acted, was not the same between the two cultures. Along with all other native American religions, the Aztec faith developed from the Shamanism brought by the first migrants over the Bering Strait, and developed independently of influences from across the Atlantic (and Pacific).

The concept of dualism is one that students of Chinese religions should be aware of; the idea of balance was primary in this belief system. Gods were not entirely good or entirely bad, being complex characters with many different aspects and their own desires and motivations. This is highlighted by the relation between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. When the Spanish arrived with their European sensibilities, they were quick to name one good and one evil, identifying Quetzalcoatl with Christ and Tezcatlipoca with Satan during their attempts to integrate the Nahua peoples into Christianity. But to the Aztecs neither god would have been “better” than the other; they are just different and opposing sides of the same duality. Indeed, their identities are rather nebulous, with Quetzalcoatl often being referred to as “White Tezcatlipoca” and Tezcatlipoca as “Black Quetzalcoatl”.

The Mexica, as is explained in the history section, came from North of Mexico in a location they named “Aztlan” (from which Europeans developed the term Aztec). During their migration south they were exposed to and assimilated elements of several native religions, including those of the Toltecs, Mayans, and Zapotecs. These combined with their older religion and meshed with their own cultural values to produce what we now call “Aztec Mythology.”

Creation Due to the nature of Aztec Mythology, there are several attested creation myths for the Mexica. One is quite similar to that of the Semitic Peoples; a transcendent deity creating the world from the abyss through thought. However, this deity was also a duality. It was referred to as Ometecuhtli/Omecihuatl (male and female versions of the same word) and was considered to be more of an abstract entity than something that could be represented physically. They/it did not interfere with the world’s development after creating it. However, some scholars doubt that this was actually an Aztec belief, but rather a corruption of an explanation for the creation of humans in order to fit Aztec myths into a more Christian system.

The Five Suns myth is much more widely and reliably sourced. In it, the world has been preceded by four cycles of creation and subsequent destruction, during which a different god acted as the Sun. When the four main gods (four Tezcatlipocas) were created, they stood at each cardinal direction. In the West was White Tezcatlipoca, or Quetzalcoatl (light, mercy and wind). South was guarded by Blue Tezcatlipoca, or Huitzilopochtli (war and conflict). East was cared for by Red Tezcatlipoca, or Xipe Totec (gold, farming, and growth). In the North was Black Tezcatlipoca, or simply Tezcatlipoca (night, deceit, judgement, sorcery, and Earth).

These four gods created all that we know today. However, creation is in a duality with destruction, and if they tried to create anything from scratch it would fall into the abyss and be consumed by the colossal caiman Cipactli, who had a mouth on every joint. Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca decided to do something about this, and used Tezcatlipoca’s foot as a lure to catch the monster. It was then slain and land created from its body (somewhat similar to the Babylonian myth of Tiamat or the Norse myth of Ymir). They created gods, including the important Tlaloc (rain and fertility) and Coatlicue (rivers, lakes, seas and beauty). They needed a Sun to give light and warmth to the Earth, and Tezcatlipoca volunteered. However, as he was missing a foot and was as such imperfect, he only formed a weak Sun. The first people were giants and lived upon the Earth. However, rivalry between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca eventually led to Tezcatlipoca being knocked from the sky with a stone club, leading to the world falling into darkness. In his fury Tezcatlipoca and his jaguars consumed all the people of the world.

The next Sun was Quetzalcoatl. The gods produced people of normal size upon the Earth, who honoured them and worshipped the gods. However, as time went on, they turned away from the gods and ceased to show proper respect. This led to Tezcatlipoca transforming them into monkeys through his sorcery. However, Quetzalcoatl had loved the imperfect people and became upset, destroying the world in a cataclysmic hurricane.

New humans were created, and Tlaloc became the next Sun. Tezcatlipoca became jealous and stole his wife Xochiquetzal (sex, flowers, and corn). The humiliated Tlaloc refused to move through the skies or release the rains so the world was overtaken by drought. The prayers of the dying people irritated the grieving Tlaloc so he sent down a rain of fire to burn the land away. The humans only survived by transforming into birds.

Tlaloc’s new wife, Chalchiuhtlicue, became the next of the Suns. She was a very altruistic god and showed great affection for the people, but Tezcatlipoca disliked her influence and so told her that her kindness was faked to win praise, which caused her to become very upset and cry blood for fifty- two years, sweeping everything from the surface of the Earth so that humans could only escape by becoming fish.

Quetzalcoatl’s people had once again been destroyed, so he went down into the underworld and retrieved their bones, reviving them with his own blood to produce a new race. Huitzilopochtli became the new Sun.

Of course, there are many variations of this story, many of which add new details. They also disagree as to the fate of the current world. However, the requirement for sacrifices is a common theme.

The End of the World One myth relating to the end of the world states that Huitzilopochtli’s siblings, the Tzitzimitl (stars) became jealous of their brother and his importance. Led by Coyolxauhqui, the moon, they attack him each night and shine through the sky, but are vanquished each morning as Huitzilopochtli beats them back. To assist him in this war, the Aztecs offer human sacrifices to their god of the sun. They also offer sacrifices to Tezcatlipoca to placate his judgement, and blood sacrifices (not fatal) to Quetzalcoatl in thanks for his blood sacrifice that created them. If the sacrifices stop, Huitzilopochtli will lose strength and eventually be defeated. The sky will go black and an earthquake shall shatter the earth, then the Tzitzimitl shall descend and massacre all of humanity.

Alternately, the fifth Sun is not Huitzilopochtli. Two gods were given as candidates; the strong Tecuciztecatl (son of Tlaloc) and the elderly Nanauatzin. A god had to enter a huge bonfire to become the sun. Nanauatzin was considered too old to be a strong sun, but regardless the two gods were put in front of the fire to make the choice. Tecuciztecatl began to walk towards the fire, but became scared by the heat and turned away. Nanauatzin now headed forward and walked slowly into the flames, becoming a Sun that shone brightly in the sky. Overcome by shame, Tecuciztecatl chased after him and leapt in, becoming the far weaker Moon. The god Tonatiuh, accompanied by the souls of all those who died in battle of childbirth, is needed to move the new Sun around the sky, but requires human sacrifices to continue to perform this service.

The Pantheon

Quetzalcoatl “Feathered/plumed/twisting serpent”. Kett-sal-CO-atll.

God of wind, light, dawn, the morning star (Venus), mercy, merchants, artists, civilisation and knowledge. Quetzalcoatl was one of the four primary gods of the Aztec pantheon, with a wealth of myths around him. He was a creator god, responsible for making mankind and producing the boundary between the Earth and sky. He was sometimes a symbol of death and resurrection, having died and resurrected himself multiple times.

Quetzalcoatl brought civilisation, knowledge, books and the calendar to mankind. He is sometimes the god responsible for the gift of maize, though this varies. Quetzalcoatl did not approve of human sacrifice, instead asking for snakes, hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as blood sacrifices (blood released by dragging a thorny rope through a body part).

Some myths equate the god Quetzalcoatl with a king of the Toltecs, who was tricked by Tezcatlipoca into sleeping drunk with his sister Quetzalpelatl. In shame and penance, he burned himself upon a pyre, where his heart became the morning star. He then brought himself back to life and fled East across the ocean upon a raft made from snakes, vowing to return some day.

Tezcatlipoca “Smoking mirror.” Tez-kat-lee-POKE-ah.

God of night, the north, the Earth, obsidian, deceit, strife, hatred, rulership, divination, sorcery, jaguars, judgement, and destruction. The antithesis of Quetzalcoatl, the relationship between the two brothers is the source of many of the Aztec myths. He was responsible for luring the titanic caiman Cipactli to be dismembered for the creation of the Earth, and was the first of the Five Suns. Being instrumental in the creation of life, he is often seen as the manifestation of “change through conflict” as opposed to the more peaceful and gradual change brought by Quetzalcoatl.

Each year, a man would be chosen by the Aztec priests as a likeness of Tezcatlipoca. He would live like a king for a whole year, given sumptuous foods, many attendants, and expensive jewellery. Four young women were given to him as wives. He spent the last week singing and dancing, and then climbed to the top of the temple of Tezcatlipoca. He would then be sacrificed and ritually cannibalised.

Huitzilopochtli Uncertain meaning, possibly “left-handed hummingbird”. Hweet-see-low-POACH-tlee.

Patron god of the Mexica tribe. God of the sun, war, and conflict. The Aztecs put Huitzilopochtli on the same level as the gods Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Tlaloc while integrating the regional mythology. He has several birth myths. He is often considered as very close to Tlaloc; the two gods shared the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. A few hundred prisoners would be sacrificed to him per year, more on special occasions.

To continue fighting the Tzitzimitl each 52-year cycle, he required nourishment in the form of human sacrifices. Should this fail, the world would fall into darkness, be devastated by earthquakes, and the Tzitzimitl would slaughter humanity. Men who died in battle or sacrifice, and women who died in childbirth, accompany Huitzilopochtli across the skies, and they have to hide themselves from his brightness with shields. Sometimes, they can return to Earth temporarily as butterflies and hummingbirds.

Tlaloc From “tlalli”; Earth, land, or cave. Tla-lock.

God of fertility, rain, water, storms, caves, and mountains. One of the main gods of the Aztec faith, he is extremely important as the giver of rain. He can send thunder and lightning, and is usually represented with large, disc-like eyes and long fangs. Tlaloc’s sacrifices were either children or drowned men. His most important site of worship was the 4100 metre Mount Tlaloc, where the Aztec ruler would conduct several important ceremonies each year. It was also a site of many pilgrimages.

Most Aztec dead were cremated. However, those killed by water or weather, as well as dwarfs and people dying from water-borne diseases were buried instead with seeds over their body, blue paint on the face, and a digging stick in one hand in offering to Tlaloc.

Xipe Totec “Our lord the flayed one.” SHEE-peh TO-tek.

God of fertility, maize, the seasons, and sometimes war. Xipe Totec flayed himself to provide food for humanity, symbolic of the transition of the seasons, the shedding of the outer leaves of maize, and snakes shedding their skin in rebirth. Sculptures of Xipe Totec are believed to have been clothed in flayed skins. These were thought to have curative properties when touched.

There was a form of gladiatorial sacrifice in sacrifices to Xipe Totec. Prisoners would be decorated with feathers and jewellery and given a wooden club, then tied to a pole. A properly armed and armoured warrior from a warrior society would then fight them. Another variety was arrow sacrifice, where the victim would be tied to a frame and shot with arrows until they died from blood loss.

Coatlicue “Her with the skirt of serpents.” Co-at-LI-kyoo.

Goddess of motherhood, childbirth, Earth, rivers, lakes, oceans, and beauty. Coatlicue is represented as a goddess with a skirt made from living serpents and a necklace made from human hearts, skulls, and hands. She has claws on her hands and feet and her head is two serpents facing inwards towards each other. Her aspects include as Earth the nurturing mother and Earth the insatiable consumer that consumes all mortal things in time. She is represented by both the womb and the grave.